Device for swallowing powder granular or granulated substances

ABSTRACT

A device for taking powdered substances has a storage receptacle and a supply tube having a first end for dispensing the substances and a pivotably supported second end that has a unitary cylinder wall pivotably mounted on a stationary cylinder body having a through bore. The supply tube is pivotable back and forth between a first position of non-use and a second position of use. In the first position, the substance is air-tightly closed off in the storage receptacle. In the second position, the substance enters the supply tube. The unitary cylinder wall has a through opening. The supply tube has an inner opening. In the first position, the inner opening of the supply tube and the through opening of the unitary cylinder wall do not communicate with the through bore of the cylinder body; in the second position, they communicate with the through bore of the cylinder body.

The invention relates to a device in accordance with the preamble ofclaim 1 for taking powdered, grainy or granular substances.

One type of application of the device according to the invention fortaking especially powdered substances is a so-called powder inhaler. Afurther type of application are devices for taking especially grainy orgranular substances, for example, food supplements. The latter arecharacterized in that they are comprised of relatively large granulesand therefore cannot be inhaled. These substances are, for example,taken orally by being supplied to the mouth. However, it is alsoconceivable that these grainy or granular substance can be supplied fromthe dosage dispenser according to the invention to drinks or otherfoodstuffs.

The powder inhaler according to the invention operated withoutpropellant serves for administration by inhaling of powdered, solidmedicaments or food supplements. The powder inhalers release the aerosolby means of the inhalation process wherein the energy for the dispersionis provided by inhalation. The powdered substance is contained in astorage receptacle, i.e., in a storage container, a capsule or in ablister. In this connection, the powders to be inhaled are galenicproducts that have been developed especially for the respective inhaler.Depending on the type of powder inhaler, the pure active ingredient isemployed or the active ingredient together with a carrier (innocuousauxiliary material, usually lactose or glucose) for adhering activeingredient particles. A further possibility of providing reliably powderinhalers resides in that the micronized active ingredient is formed assoft and easily destroyable agglomerates.

In the case of currently known powder inhalers, the patient inhales afine powder wherein the patient himself supplies the energy forgenerating the aerosol by means of his breathing action. This has theadvantage that no coordination problems between release and inhalationare present. The active ingredient is swirled, for example, in aspirally guided airflow and reaches together with the airflow directlythe bronchial tubes. However, in the case of the prior art powderinhalers, the patient when experiencing acute breathing problems is notalways able to generate the required inhalation power for the powderaerosol treatment because of resistance in the air channel.

The known powder inhalers are characterized in that at any time theyhave an open air channel into which moisture and dirt from thesurroundings can penetrate. For this reason, the known powder inhalersare provided with protective caps as well as storage devices as aprotection against moisture and dirt from the surroundings. When losingor incorrectly applying such protective devices, the powder inhalerloses its full functionality. A disadvantage in regard to the knownpowder inhalers is that the patient not always avoids to also exhale inthe opposite direction, i.e., in the exhalation direction through theinhaler. Accordingly, because of moisture within the breath, the inhalerhas the tendency to cause clumping of the powder and adhering of thepowder in the air channel of the inhaler. This leads also to significantdosing problems. The patient must provide the energy for generating theaerosol with his breathing action during inhalation. This energy howeveris limited in particular in the case of patients, and, in the case ofacute breathing problems, the patient is unable to sufficiently generatethe necessary energy for the required breathing power for the powderaerosol treatment in customary inhalers. Most known powder inhalers haveno optimal flow course because, as a result of the constructive designdefaults, flow deflection and swirling occur. This means an increasedflow resistance and requires an increased energy expenditure from thepatient. Finally, portions of the powder remain adhered to undercuts andin dead zones of the flow; this is detrimental with regard to the dosingprecision.

The grainy or granular substances have been administered in the past inthat they are removed by a spoon from the storage receptacle;subsequently, the substance is inserted with the spoon into the mouth orthe substance is added to a drink or to food. This is often unhygienicbecause the substance is contained unprotected and freely accessiblewithin the storage receptacle. Moreover, the required dosing precisionis not always ensured.

Based on this, the invention has the object to provide a device of theaforementioned kind for taking powdered, grainy or granular substanceswhich device is improved with regard to its function.

The technical solution is characterized by the features in thecharacterizing portion of claim 1.

The basic principle of the device according to the invention for takingpowdered, grainy, or granular substances, in particular, of the powderinhaler according to the invention, resides in that only in the in theinhalation-ready state of the device a continuous air channel withVenturi tube-like or smooth profile is made available for guiding theairflow while in the state not ready for inhalation the air channel iscompletely blocked so that in the intake area no air can be sucked inand in the outlet area no powder-carrying air can be sucked in, i.e., inthe supply tube. In this way, exclusively at the time of application anappropriately shaped air channel enables an optimal flow course and,while providing a perforce synchronization between deposition of thepowder and inhalation, the portioned powdered medicament is entrainedand dispersed sufficiently along the subsequent diffusor stretch. In theclosed state, on the other hand, the intake opening as well as theoutlet opening is automatically closed against moisture and dust. Evenin the case of acute breathing problems, the patient can still providethe breathing power required for the powder aerosol treatment with theinhaler because straight airflow channels can be realized. Thesynchronously operating dosing and releasing device enables theminimization of components and closes off the entire inner system of thedevice in an airtight and water-tight way when not in use. The patientopens the airflow channel in the device with a single movement of thesupply tube. Upon doing so, the powder is deposited and can be inhaledimmediately. After inhalation, the patient closes the system again witha single movement by pivoting the supply tube. When doing so, the nextdose is portioned from the storage receptacle and the system isairtightly closed. By means of the pivot system, overall a perforcecorrect manipulation for safe administration is ensured. A one-way valveon the intake side can provide absolute seal-tightness. Since aside fromthe supply tube no additional devices must be moved for readying thepowder inhaler for operation, during the inhalation process the majorportion of the inhalation energy remains available in fact forinhalation because of the straight configuration of the airflow channel.Because only a few mechanical parts are provided on the inhaler and theairflow is guided almost linearly, only minimal proportions of thepowder remain within the device, i.e., adhere to the air channel. Thisincreases the dosing precision. By being entrained by the airflow, thepowder is uniformly distributed and de-agglomerated. The air channelpreferably has the shape of a Venturi tube or Laval nozzle. In addition,during transport of the powder and entrainment by the airflow optionallylarger powder particles are broken up and thus comminuted by means ofhelical lamellas. Mechanical resistance devices/de-agglomeration devicesof any shape can be positioned within the air channel in order to varythe air channel as needed and in accordance with specifications. The airchannel, depending on the requirements of the powder, can be freelyvaried with regard to breathing resistance. The configurations of theair channel can be round or oval in cross-section and can have the samecross-sectional shape across the entire length. The intake and outletcan be, for example, funnel-shaped. By means of the Venturi tube, anoptimal flow and acceleration of the inhaled airflow includingentrainment and dispersion of the powdered medicament is ensured. Inparticular, a perforce complete emptying is ensured. The free design ofthe air channel enables the adaptation of the inhaler to differentinhalable medicaments. For example, dry powdered medicaments can bedispersed within the airflow in particle-defined size. The inhaleraccording to the invention as a hole is suitable for extended usebecause, due to the configuration, the entire air channel can be easilycleaned by means of a pipe cleaner and hygienic problems can be avoided.The inhaler, for full functionality and simplest shape, is comprised ofa few injection-molded parts without using springs and levers. Above,the invention has been explained with the aid of a powder inhaler. Thesame advantages result also for grainy or granular substances which,however, are not inhaled but instead flow in a dosed portion from thedevice according to the invention and can be used accordingly. Thedifference to the powder inhaler is that no continuous airflow forinhalation is generated by the user.

A technical realization of the device according to the invention isproposed by the further embodiment according to claim 2. The basic idearesides in that the supply tube at the end remote from the mouth isrotatably supported. In the position of non-use of the device, allopenings are closed while in the position of use they are open. Inparticular, in the case of a powder inhaler the airflow can beconfigured to be linear. This reduces the risk of turbulences as well asflow resistance to a minimum; this is so because the adhesion andfriction play an important role when manufacturing and administeringpowder aerosols. During administration of the powder aerosol, adhesionand friction between medicament and auxiliary means must be overcome.However, these forces between the powder particles and the powderinhaler surface occur at the same time. Therefore, the linear profile ofthe airflow is advantageous.

A first application of the device according to the invention is proposedin claim 3. The design is based on a reservoir for the substance fromwhich several dosage units can be dosed.

The basic idea of the powder inhaler in claim 4 resides in that thecylinder wall of the supply tube has a through opening in the form of abore whose height and diameter determines the metering volume andmatches an oppositely positioned bore in the central cylinder body. Inthe closed state, the through opening of the cylinder wall is positionedprecisely underneath the outlet opening of the storage receptacle sothat dosing of the medicament is realized. In the folded-down state ofthe supply tube, the medicament than flows through the connecting borein the cylinder body into the through bore and thus precisely into theair channel so that the medicament can be inhaled upon inhalation. Thestorage receptacle can be exchangeable for increasing economicefficiency.

A further development based thereon according to claim 5 proposes aone-way valve in the air channel so that the patient can only inhale thepowder but cannot blow it out of the inhaler.

The embodiment according to claim 6 does not concern a powder inhalerbut a device for dosing grainy or granular substances. The basic ideahere is that the substance flows through the outlet opening of thestorage receptacle into the through opening in the cylinder whichdefines a dosing chamber. After pivoting of the supply tube into theposition of use, the substance flows from this dosing chamber into thethrough bore of the cylinder body and from there into the supply tube.

A second application of the device according to the invention isproposed in claim 7. This concerns a single-dose applicator employing acapsule. In this single-dose dosing device, the capsule is positioned inthe cylinder body on the axis of rotation of the supply tube. By foldingdown the supply tube, the ends of the capsule are cut off by means of acutting blade. In this way, a complete emptying of the capsule ispossible. No splinters are produced. In contrast to other devices, it isnot necessary to provide a protective screen that would increase thebreathing resistance. An unopened capsule can be inserted only in theposition of non-use into the supply tube. This holds true also fordisposal of an emptied capsule. In this way, a perforce synchronizationis realized in that the cutting of the capsule and the activation arerealized in the appropriate pivot position of the supply tube while inthe position of non-use an air-tight and water-tight closure of thesupply tube is realized.

Three embodiments of the device according to the invention for takingpowdered, grainy or granular substances will be explained in thefollowing with the aid of the drawings. It is shown in:

-   -   FIG. 1 a a first embodiment of a powder inhaler for several        dosage units (so-called multi-dose) in the position of non-use;    -   FIG. 1 b the powder inhaler of FIG. 1 a in the position of use;    -   FIG. 2 a a second embodiment of the powder inhaler for a single        dosage (so-called single-dose) in the position of non-use;    -   FIG. 2 b the powder inhaler of FIG. 2 a in the position of use;    -   FIG. 3 a a third embodiment as a device for taking grainy or        granular substances for several dosage units (so-called        multi-dose) in the position of non-use;    -   FIG. 3 b the device of FIG. 3 a in the position of use.

The powder inhaler of the first embodiment of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b has ahousing 1 in which a substantially funnel-shaped storage receptacle 2for powder is located. This storage receptacle 2 has an outlet opening 3at the lowest point.

In the housing a cylinder body 4 is moreover fixedly arranged. It has aradial through bore 5. A connecting bore 6 that is also continuousbranches off transversely from the through bore 5 in the upwarddirection.

On the cylinder body 4, a supply tube 7 in the form of an inhalationpipe is rotatably supported. For this purpose, the rearward end of thesupply tube 7 has a cylinder wall 8 with which the pivoting supportaction on the cylinder body 4 is realized. This cylinder wall 8 has anopening 9 which is positioned on the axis of the inner opening 10 of thesupply tube 7. Moreover, the cylinder wall 8 has a through opening 11.

Finally, the housing 1 has an inwardly projecting air inlet 13.

The device functions as follows:

In the position of non-use (FIG. 1 a), the through opening 11 of thecylinder wall 8 is positioned underneath the outlet opening 3 of thestorage container 2. The powder flows into the through opening 11 whichthus defines a dosage unit. In this position, the through bore 5 as wellas the connecting bore 6 of the cylinder body 4 are seal-tightly closedby the cylinder wall 8.

For transferring the powder inhaler into the position of use (FIG. 1 b),the supply tube 7 is pivoted downwardly. In this way, the throughopening 11 (containing the dosage unit of powder) is moved into aposition above the connecting bore 6 in the cylinder body 4 so that thepowder flows through the connecting bore 6 into the through bore 5.Accordingly, the inner opening 10 of the supply tube 7, the through bore5 of the cylinder body 4, the opening 9 of the cylinder wall 8 of thesupply tube 7 as well as the air inlet 13 of the housing 1 define aninterconnected continuous and sealed through channel. When the userinhales, the powder is entrained and is inhaled by the patient. Theinhalation tube 7 can be in principle designed as a mouth tube or nosetube.

After inhalation, the supply tube 7 is moved upwardly again (FIG. 1 a)so that a new dosage of powder flows from the storage container 2through the outlet opening 3 into the through opening 11 in the cylinderwall 8.

The second embodiment in FIG. 2 a and FIG. 2 b is based on a storagereceptacle in the form of a capsule 12 for a single dose. With regard tothe basic principle, this embodiment variant is identical to that of thepowder inhaler of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b.

A cylinder body 4 having a through bore 5 is provided (however, withouta connecting bore 6). A cylinder wall 8 of a supply tube 7 is pivotablysupported on the cylinder body 4. This cylinder wall 8 has an opening 9on the axis of the inner opening 10 of the supply tube 7. Moreover, thecylinder wall 8 has two passages 14 with a cutting edge 15,respectively. The upper passage 14 in FIG. 2 b has additionally asealing nose 16.

The function is as follows:

In the position of non-use of the powder inhaler (FIG. 2 a) a capsule 12is inserted into the through bore 5 of the cylinder body 4. The inneropening 10 of the supply tube 7 as well as the opening 9 of the cylinderwall 8 are seal-tightly closed by the cylinder body 4. Moreover, the airinlet 13 of the housing 1 is tightly closed by the sealing nose.

For transferring the powder inhaler into the position of use, the supplytube 7 is folded downwardly (FIG. 2 b). When doing so, the two cuttingedges 15 of the cylinder wall 8 cut off the ends of the capsule 12.Accordingly, the powder in the interior of the capsule 12 is within theairflow during the inhalation process. The sealed air channel is definedby the inner opening 10 of the supply tube 7, the through bore 5 in thecylinder 4, the opening 9 in the cylinder wall 8 as well as the airinlet 13 of the housing 1.

After completion of inhalation, the supply tube 7 is again pivotedupwardly so that the empty capsule 12 can be removed.

The third embodiment in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b serves for the doseddispensing of grainy or granular substances contained within the storagereceptacle 2. The difference to the powder inhaler of FIGS. 1 a and 1 bresides in that the cylinder wall 8 does not have the opening 9 and thatthe through bore 5 in the cylinder body 4 is of an angular configurationwherein this through bore 5 from the upper inlet to the lower outlet hasa continuous slant relative to the earth's horizontal.

The function is as follows:

In the storage receptacle 2, as mentioned already, a grainy or granularflowable substance is contained. In the position of non-use of thedevice (FIG. 3 a) the supply tube 7 is folded upwardly so that thethrough opening 11 of the cylinder wall 8 is moved into a positionunderneath the outlet opening 3. The through bore 5 in the cylinder body4 is completely closed by the cylinder wall 8. In the through opening 11of the cylinder wall 8 the grainy or granular substance is collected.

After folding down the supply tube 7 into the position of use (FIG. 3b), the through opening 6 of the cylinder wall 8 is located in aposition above the inlet of the angled through opening 5. The substancecontained within the through opening 11 of the cylinder wall 8 flowsfrom above into the through bore 5. As a result of its free flowingproperties, the substance finally reach the inner opening 10 of thesupply tube 7 from where the substance can be taken either orally or canbe added to a drink or food or can be directly administered otherwise.

LIST OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 housing-   2 storage receptacle-   3 outlet opening-   4 cylinder body-   5 through bore-   6 connecting bore-   7 supply tube-   8 cylinder wall-   9 opening-   10 inner opening-   11 through opening-   12 capsule-   13 air inlet-   14 passage-   15 cutting edge-   16 sealing nose

1.-7. (canceled)
 8. A device for taking powdered, grainy or granularsubstances, the device comprising: a storage receptacle for a substance;a supply tube having a first end for dispensing the substance and apivotably supported second end; a stationary cylinder body; wherein thesecond end of the supply tube comprises a unitary cylinder wallpivotably mounted on the stationary cylinder body and wherein the supplytube is pivotable back and forth between a first position of non-use anda second position of use; wherein in the first position the substance isair-tightly closed off in the storage receptacle and in the secondposition the substance enters the supply tube; wherein the cylinder bodyhas a through bore; wherein the unitary cylinder wall has a throughopening; wherein the supply tube has an inner opening; wherein in thefirst position the inner opening of the supply tube and the throughopening of the unitary cylinder wall do not communicate with the throughbore of the cylinder body; wherein in the second position the inneropening of the supply tube and the through opening of the unitarycylinder wall communicate with the through bore of the cylinder body. 9.The device according to claim 8, wherein the storage receptacle containsseveral dosage units of the substance, wherein the storage receptaclehas a bottom side provided with an outlet opening, and wherein thethrough opening of the cylinder wall, in the first position of thesupply tube, is located underneath the outlet opening of the storagereceptacle and, in the second position, communicates with the throughbore of the cylinder body.
 10. The device according to claim 9, whereinthe through bore of the cylinder body extends radially and wherein thecylinder body further comprises an upwardly extending continuousconnecting bore connected transversely to the radially extending throughbore, wherein the radially extending through bore during inhalationdefines a continuous airflow that entrains the substance present withinthe radially extending through bore, wherein the cylinder wall has aremote opening at the second end remote from the first end and providedon an axial extension of the supply tube, wherein the through opening ofthe cylinder wall, in the first position of the supply tube, is locatedunderneath the outlet opening of the storage receptacle and, in thesecond position of the supply tube, is positioned above the connectingbore of the cylinder body.
 11. The device according to claim 10, havingan air channel defining the airflow, wherein the air channel has aone-way valve.
 12. The device according to claim 9, wherein the throughbore of the cylinder body is an angled through bore and has a slant thatis continuous relative to earth's horizontal, wherein the throughopening in the cylinder wall is arranged such that the through opening,in the first position of the supply tube, is located underneath theoutlet opening of the storage receptacle while the angled through boreis closed by the cylinder wall, wherein the through opening, in thesecond position of the supply tube, is located above an inlet of thethrough bore of the cylinder bore and the inner opening of the supplytube communicates with an outlet of the angled through bore.
 13. Thedevice according to claim 8, wherein the storage receptacle is a capsulefor a single dosage unit of the substance, wherein the capsule isinsertable into the through bore of the cylinder body, and opposed endsof the capsule project such past an outer surface of the cylinder bodythat upon pivoting of the supply tube from the first position into thesecond position the opposed ends of the capsule are sheared off.